Science on Tap discussion to focus on technology and the brain

LAWRENCE — Smartphone, tablet, e-reader: All of them are technological innovations that are useful, attractive and fun. But are they also harmful?

New research has begun to show the costs of our “wired” society and the incompatibility between our brains and our gadgets.

Paul Atchley, associate professor of psychology at the University of Kansas, will lead a talk and conversation on the subject at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, at Free State Brewing Co., 636 Massachusetts St. The free event is part of the KU Natural History Museum’s Science on Tap series of informal “science café” events.

Atchley will discuss the limits of human attention, the costs of technology and the myth of multitasking. He will also offer information about promising research that shows that a return to nature may be good for how we think.

Atchley’s research focuses on the interaction between attention and perception, and how these two aspects of cognition are influenced by dual-tasking, such as using a smartphone and driving.